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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What are the two primary reasons that Augustine devotes his time to those questions?
(a) Because Scriptural infallibility affirms God's role in miracles and prophesy.
(b) The two commandments of Christianity to love God and to love one's neighbor.
(c) God's omnipotence establishes His authority over creation and judgment.
(d) The Christian conception of Christ's deity explains His resurrection and authority over forgiveness.

2. What is the primary tool for interpretation for the critics that Augustine primarily focuses on in the Preface?
(a) Investigating commentaries produced closer to the time of the authors of Scriptures.
(b) A "special gift" from God.
(c) Intense study of Scripture.
(d) Trial and error application to the situations for which they need Scriptural guidance.

3. What are the three things Augustine identifies as how God inspires His children?
(a) Signs, things, and enjoyment.
(b) His illuminated truths, special gifts, and signs.
(c) The promise of His return, His illuminated truths, and signs.
(d) His death, resurrection, and promise of return.

4. What Scriptural defense does Augustine use for encouraging critics to consider the validity of "On Christian Doctrine"?
(a) Augustine argues that Scripture is the foundation of his writing, so his effort is divinely inspired.
(b) Augustine argues that Scripture does not negate any teaching extrapolated from Scripture.
(c) Augustine argues, in his blending of Greek and Christian thoughts, that Scripture contains many examples of God using pagans to exhibit his will.
(d) Augustine argues that Scripture contains many examples of people teaching others.

5. According to Augustine, how should a student be affected as he/she becomes proficient in interpreting Scripture?
(a) He/she will help in developing an understanding of God's motivations.
(b) He/she will help to apply the principles of community.
(c) He/she will increase the love that one feels.
(d) He/she will help develop a student's teaching skill.

6. What is the second important distinction that Augustine makes in Book One?
(a) The distinction between enjoy and use.
(b) The distinction between encouraging and exhortation.
(c) The distinction between things and signs.
(d) The distinction between Christian love and pagan love.

7. What is the nature of the second important distinction Augustine identifies in Book One?
(a) Everything that is enjoyed is used, but not everything that is used is enjoyed.
(b) Christian love can be found within pagans, but pagan love is antithetical to Christian love.
(c) Encouragement is an exhortation, but not every exhortation is an encouragement.
(d) A sign is always a thing, but not all things are signs.

8. Upon what does Augustine focus most of his efforts in the Preface of "On Christian Doctrine"?
(a) Criticism from those who believe it is not needed.
(b) Criticism from those who refuse or are unable to apply it.
(c) Criticism that his demands for linguistic studies were too exclusive.
(d) Criticism from those who claim that Augustine relied too much on training and not enough on divine guidance.

9. With what prediction does Augustine start "On Christian Doctrine"?
(a) Christians will transform society through piety and rhetorical skill.
(b) God will assure that the Church will become the primary social force in the world.
(c) Christians will gather around a uniform doctrine.
(d) The work will face three kinds of criticism.

10. What does Augustine write is incompatible with love?
(a) Using things for non-Scriptural purposes is incompatible with love.
(b) Using things without the goal of enjoying them is incompatible with love.
(c) Coveting things for one's self is incompatible with love.
(d) Using things without seeking wisdom is incompatible with love.

11. Of these influences on personal thought, which does Augustine claim Scripture teaches can lead a Christian to positive patterns?
(a) That Priests are a model of what St. Paul inferred in Hebrews was the "Priesthood of Believers," and are therefore a legitimate source of guidance.
(b) That God uses angels to direct men to human communities to learn.
(c) That "leaving and cleaving" that forms marriage is a reflection of God's character.
(d) That God always calls His chosen people to work productively.

12. What other subject does Augustine addresses in Book Three and Book Four?
(a) Understanding how to learn from Scripture.
(b) Teaching the doctrines of Scripture.
(c) Understanding how to convey what one learned from Scripture.
(d) Understanding how scripture develops community.

13. What are the two main tools that God uses to teach men what to do, as identified by Augustine?
(a) Priests and Rabbis
(b) Scripture and nature.
(c) Wars and rumors of wars.
(d) Angels and human communities.

14. What does Augustine consider to be the ultimate thing to be enjoyed?
(a) The things that we can develop from our special gifts.
(b) The things that God places in nature for us to use.
(c) The concept of Christian love as practiced in community.
(d) The Trinity of Christianity.

15. According to Augustine, for what reason should one love oneself?
(a) One should only love oneself if they have seen illuminated truth.
(b) One should only love oneself on account of God.
(c) One should only love oneself if God endowed him with understanding for interpretation.
(d) One should only love oneself if they can discern signs from things.

Short Answer Questions

1. Augustine endeavors to answer many questions about what subject in Book One?

2. How does Augustine characterize the argument that his teaching is not needed because it comes from a human source?

3. What was the third type of criticism that Augustine suggests "On Christian Doctrine" would face?

4. When Augustine focuses on one of the types of criticism he expects to receive, what does he suggest to the reader?

5. How are things separated by Augustine?

(see the answer keys)

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